American Moves Underway To Take On Growing Chinese Cyber Threat
U.S. forces are being repositioned to counter burgeoning Chinese military power, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As well, the United States is beginning to form a cadre of computer experts able to counter the cyberwar brigades that China has assembled, he said.
More American forces, especially naval assets, are being redeployed to the Pacific Command to counter the Chinese threat against Taiwan, and the North Korean nuclear/missile threat.
“I think that we need to complete the relocation programs with respect to Guam and Okinawa, as well as in South Korea,” Gates said. But I think with those — with the forward deployment of the George Washington to Japan, I think that the U.S. forces, both Navy and Air Force in particular, are well positioned.”
Beijing has vowed to invade and conquer Taiwan if it doesn’t capitulate and submit to Chinese rule, soon. The United States, however, opposes any such violence, urging a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
China has 1,400 short- and medium-range missile aimed toward Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, and no non-stealthy, radar-evading U.S. ship could enter Taiwanese waters without facing grave peril.
Btu the U.S. Air Force has moved some F-22 Raptor super-stealth, supersonic-cruise strike fighter aircraft to the Pacific that, in larger numbers, could take out those Chinese missile batteries, and any of the increasingly cutting-edge Chinese military aircraft.
“We have a number of programs underway in development that are intended to counter some of the Chinese technological advances that have the potential to put our carriers at risk,” Gates said. “And I think we’re making good progress on those. And I think we have capability in place to be able to deal with any foreseeable Chinese threat for some time to come.”
China also has nuclear-powered Jin Class submarines with nuclear-tipped missiles boasting a range of almost 5,000 miles, able to annihilate Washington and New York while cruising submerged in the Pacific 2,000 miles from California.
Gates, however, said he hopes for warmer Sino-U.S. military relations, including exchanges of military personnel, to help avoid “mistakes and miscalculations.”
He added that in talks, Chinese leaders routinely object to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and U.S. officials routinely defend those planned sales. And life goes on.
One of the highest priorities “that we need to focus on going forward, that we’ll be working with the committee on, is the need to strengthen our cyber capabilities, and, particularly our defensive capabilities,” Gates said.